Electrical ceiling-fitting connection



J. A. McKAY.

ELECIRICAL CEILING FITTING CONNECTION.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 1. ms.

1 ,4125748 Patented Apr. 1111, 11922.

cents stares PTENT @FFHQE JOHN'ANDREW MOKAY, OF TORONTO, ONTARIO. CANADA, ASSIGNOR 1'0 GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

ELECTRICAL CEILING-FITTING CONNECTION.

. Application filed July 1,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that T, J OHN ANDREW. Mc- KAY, a subject of the King of Great Brltaln,

. and resident of the city of Toronto, county of York, Province of ()ntario, in the Dominion of Canada,- have invented certain new and useful Improvements in an Electrical Ceiling-Fitting Connection, described in the followlng specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, that form part of the same.

The principal objects of the mventlon are, to provide a connection for supporting ceiling fixtures which will enable the use of ermanent wiring connections to which the fixture may be readily attached and the electrical connection made instantaneously whereby the splicing of wires and the dangers resulting from improper connections will be eliminated.

A further object is to allow of the ready removal of the fixture without interference with either the permanent wiring or the Wiring of the fixture.

The principal feature of the invention consists in the novel construction and arrangement of arts whereby electrical contacts connecte with the feed wires are ar ranged in a permanent fitting and the detachable fixture is supported by a member engaging and interlocking with the permanent fitting, said detachable member havlng electrical contacts wired to the fixture and adapted to engage the contacts on the permanent fitting.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a vertical mid-sectional view of the device taken longitudinally of the interlocking members.

Figure 2 is a central transverse vertical sectional view.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional detail through one of the electrical connections.

Figure 4 is a perspective and part sectional view showing detail of the detachable fixture supporting member.

In the accompanying drawings T have shown a ceiling box 1 provided with a central stud 2 to which is attached the spider 3, the downwardly extending legs of which are each provided with inwardly projecting lugs 4. A block 5 of insulating material is fitted between three of these lugs and is secured thereto by the screws 6.

The longitudinal sides 7 of the block 5 are ofiset inwardly'so that the undersurfaces of Specification of Letterslatent.

Patented Apr. 114, 1922.

1912;. Serial No. 242,915.

the flanges thus formed register with the bottom ends of the spider legs. The under surface of the block 5 is formed with a pair of longitudinal recesses 8 separated by the central web 9 and in each of these recesses is arranged a tubular contact 10 which is secured in place by the screws 11. Each of these contacts is provided in the block 5 with an extension lug 12 at one end in which is secured a binding screw 13 and an opening 14 above the binding screw is provided for insertion of the feed wire 15.

A sheet metal casing 16 having open ends is secured to the lower end of the spider legs by the screws 17. This casing extends into the longitudinal ofisets of the block 5- and is formed with the longitudinal grooves 18. The lower box shaped portion 19 of the casing 16 encloses the tubular contacts 10 and a longitudinally grooved insulating block 20 fits snugly against the lower face of the upper block 5 completely enclosing and insulating these contacts, openings 21 being provided at one end in alignment with the tubular contacts.

The lower block20 is secured in place by a screw 22 which also serves to secure a springlatchmember 23 to the bottom of the casing.

The fixture supporting member 24 is formed up of sheet metal having the parallel sides 25 adapted to slidably engage the outer side walls of the casing 16 and the upper edges 26 are flanged inwardly to engage the longitudinal grooves 13.

The fixture is secured in a suitable manner in the nozzle or ferrule 27 secured in the bottom of the member 24.

The electrical contacts for the fixture comprise a pair of pins 28 which are rigidly secured in a block 29 of insulating material. This block is secured between the parallel side walls of the member 24 near one end the flanges 26 are slipped into the grooves 18 of the casing 16. The projecting ends of the contact pins 28 pass through the holes 21 in the insulating block asthe detachable member is slipped into place making electrical connection and when pressed home tightly the spring latch member 23 engages the outer side of the insulating block 29 thereby locking the fixture securely in place. The members thus described when secured in position may be then covered up from observation by the usual canopy which is loosely arranged upon thefixture.

'When it is desired to disconnect a fixture it is merely necessary to loosen the canopy, press down the latch and withdraw the fixture from its position. The electrical contacts are protected against accidental contact and the permanent wiring remains undisturbed.

What I claim as my invention is 1. An electrical ceiling fitting connection, comprising, a permanent member having horizontal grooves in the side Walls parallelly arranged, an insulating block secured in said member, electrical contacts housed in said insulating block, a fixture carrying member having flanged edges adapted to engage the horizontal grooves of the permanent member, an insulating block secured in said fixture member, a pair of electrical contacts wired to the fixture and supported in said insulating block and adapted to en gage the electrical contacts in the permanent fitting, and means for automatically locking said fixture member in place.

2. An electrical ceiling fitting connection, comprising, a rigid supporting member, an insulating block secured to said rigid supporting member having recesses therein, electrical contacts secured in said recesses and connected to the feed wires, horizontal guide-Ways arranged at the sides of said insulating block, a member adapted to slip over said insulating block and having flanged edges engaging said guide ways and adapted-to support an electrical fixture, a spring latch secured to the rigid member and adapted to engage the slidable member to lock it in place, and an electrical contact insulated from and supported by the slidable member and wired to the fixture and adapted to engage the permanentcontact in the fixed member.

3. An electrical ceiling fitting connection,

comprising, in combination a spider formed with downwardly extending legs, a block of insulating mate-rial secured to said spider and having recesses in the underside, electrical eontacts secured in said recesses and connected to the feed Wires, an insulating block enclosing said electrical connections, a metal casing surrounding said insulating blocks and having longitudinal grooves in the sides, a detachable sheet metal member formed with flanged edges adapted to engage said grooves and supporting the electrical fixture, an e-lectricalicontact carried by said detachable member and adapted to engage said fixed contact, and means for locking said detachable member in lace.

JOHN ANDREW -Mo (AY. 

